Raouf Abou Zaki CEO of Al Iktisaad Wal Aamal Group The Guest of Success Story at BAU

For the third year running, the Public Relations Department at BAU organized “Success Story”, which hosted this year the CEO of Al Iktisaad Wal Aamal Group, Mr. Raouf Abou Zaki, who highlighted the landmarks of his career. The event was held at Beirut Campus on the 15th of May 2015, and was attended by Prof. Dr. Amr Galal El Adawi, President of BAU, the deans, Mr. Issam Houri, BAU Secretary General, BAU directors and a large crowd of businessmen, bankers and businesses, as well as ex-Minister Sami Haddad and the students of the Faculty of Business Administration.
The event took the format of an interview conducted by Ms. Zina Ariss, Director of Public Relations Administration. She opened the interview with a welcoming note, pointing out that the Lebanese economy with its various challenges, has chosen Raouf Abou Zaki as a pioneer. He is considered a hardworking man who has a sharp financial vision, and a vast selection of Arab, regional and international connections. He has also attended an endless series of conferences, seminars, exhibitions and activities that aim at safeguarding the Lebanese economy and promoting it in the Arab World to reestablish trust.
After showing a brief documentary of Abou Zaki’s career in the world of business and finances, he ascended the stage together with Ms. Ariss where a “studio” had been established. He remembered his early beginnings as a journalist at  Annahar Newspaper, explaining how mass communication had fascinated him long before economics. A number of spiritual writings had preceded his economic interest in founding Al Iktisaad Wal Aamal Group, which emerged during the war but continued despite the challenges it faced, to remain today with the aim at keeping the Lebanese economy safe and sound.
Abou Zaki elaborated on the time of reconstruction in the wake of the Civil War. He spoke in particular about his relationship with Late Rafik Hariri, and the hopes and efforts they had at the time to attract Arab and foreign investors into Lebanon. He described Rafik Hariri as one of those figures who had restabilized the Lebanese economy.
As for the challenges that his Magazine is facing at a time when reading is receding in the face of electronic media, Abou Zaki stressed that the magazine is part of the challenges facing the printed press. He emphasized that the magazine is surviving on its own efforts and for the same specialized aim for which it had been established, namely to familiarize economists with the current status of the Lebanese, the Arab and the International economy. This is achieved through comprehensive and meticulous reports.
With an eye on the future, Abou Zaki maintained that the Lebanese Lira is sound and the Lebanese economy is resistant despite various challenges. In these terms, he praised the efforts and vision of Riad Salemeh, Governor of Banque Du Liban, who has successfully neutralized both the economy and finances in Lebanon vis-à-vis all internal and external problems. 
Addressing himself to university students and to the students of the faculties of business administration in particular, Abou Zaki called upon the youth not to despair and to continuously pursue those windows that would lead to success, based on a clear vision, and a sound knowledge of the various specialties on demand, and linking their vision with a determined management. He also pointed out that the students are victimized by fossilized curricula, and called upon universities to offer more flexible, open-minded, 
diversified and interactive curricula with the changes occurring both in science and on the job-market. 
Abou Zaki concluded the event by thanking BAU for hosting him. He was then awarded a shield of appreciation by Prof. Adawi, who hailed Abou Zaki’s story of success and hoped the students would learn to benefit from such expertise and draw their future along similar lines.